Tag: Zak Brown

Second Non Surprise This Week- Rossi to AMSP

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As usual, news breaks while I’m in transit. Here is the release from AMSP.

ALEXANDER ROSSI TO JOIN ARROW McLAREN SP IN 2023

“I see the commitment this team has to each other and to me”

Indianapolis, Ind. | June 2, 2022

Arrow McLaren SP has signed American driver Alexander Rossi to a multiyear deal for him to drive for the team, starting in 2023. The arrival of Rossi underpins Arrow McLaren SP’s long-term strategy to become a consistent race winner and championship contender.

Rossi, from Nevada City, California, has secured seven wins, six poles and 25 podium finishes since arriving in IndyCar in 2016. His most notable win came as a rookie when he won the historic 100th Running of the Indianapolis 500 in dramatic fashion, coasting across the finish line on fumes.

The American is a versatile driver who has also made five starts in Formula 1, raced the famed Bathurst 1000 in Australia in 2019, won the Baja 1000 in 2021, and took an overall win at the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2021.

Rossi will join the team following the completion of the 2022 NTT INDYCAR SERIES season.

Arrow McLaren SP will hold a press conference tomorrow (Friday, June 3) at 10:30 a.m. ET with Alexander Rossi and Taylor Kiel, President of Arrow McLaren SP, at the Detroit Grand Prix Media Center.

Alexander Rossi, said:

“First, I want to thank everyone at Andretti Autosport for an incredible seven years. It has been a great ride with an awesome team, and it has been an honor to race for the Andretti name and for Michael for so long. The time has come for a new challenge, with a team that is growing in the sport. I look forward to contributing to the development of Arrow McLaren SP and helping them reach the top. I see the commitment this team has to each other and to me, and I’m looking forward to getting started. It’s time for me to race for another one of motorsport’s biggest names: McLaren.”

Taylor Kiel, President, Arrow McLaren SP, said:

“As we look forward to 2023, we are looking for a driver that will be a great fit and bring experience to the team. Alex is a driver who knows what it takes to succeed in this sport and will strengthen our talented driver line-up. He shares the same winning mindset that I see every day across Arrow McLaren SP and I think we will find a lot of success together in the years to come.”

Zak Brown, CEO, McLaren Racing, said:

“Alex is a proven race winner and an Indianapolis 500 champion, who shares our desire to win. It is essential that we put the right talent in place, both inside and outside the car, so we can consistently compete for championships and race wins as a team. He is someone we have had our eye on for some time and we’re excited to see what he’ll do as a part of Arrow McLaren SP.”

McLaren Forms Its Own Team for Indy; Some Thoughts

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Following yesterday’s late afternoon announcement that McLaren and Fernando Alonso will enter the 2019 Indianapolis 500, CEO Zak Brown added further details. The Mclaren effort will be a separate team, McLaren Racing. It is expected they will still receive some support from Andretti Autosport.  The team will run Chevrolet engines in all likelihood.

Brown would not comment on a possible two car effort at Indy. He did say that this entry is a precursor to a full time Indycar team.

Some Thoughts

It’s always great to have more cars in the 500, especially with another separate team. The international aspect is great for the race.

The possibility exists to have six former F1 drivers on the 500 grid, including a former world champion. Maybe Team Penske can bring Juan Pablo Montoya back as well.

Alonso will drive a car very different from the one he drove in 2017. There will be less downforce. I have no doubt he will adjust quickly as he did in his first May.

If McLaren’s main focus is helping Alonso win the third leg of the Triple Crown, would it be helpful for them to enter Pocono as well in 2019? While it is a different track from Indy, it is still a high speed track of the same length.

Andretti Autosport will be giving support to two Chevrolet teams, Harding and McLaren, during May. I don’t think that is a good idea for the series.  Even if their personnel are completely removed from engine discussions, it just looks bad.

The entry list for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 appears to be heading to about 38 cars. I will wait until late April to begin my annual plea to change the qualifying format.

Updated: McLaren Not Coming to Indycar in 2019; Indy 500 Undecided

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Photo: Fernando Alonso at the 2017 Indianapolis 500

Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren, confirmed today that McLaren will not have a full time entry in Indycar in 2019. He left open the possibility of McLaren still entering the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.

“As far as the Indy 500 is concerned, it’s something that remains of interest to us,” Brown said. “That’ll be a decision that ultimately we take in the off-season, and it’s something Fernando would like to do. Right now, we’re still focused on Formula 1, and until we get a little bit of fresh air, we’ll remain focused on that.”

In 2017, McLaren ran the 500 in partnership with Andretti Autosport. COO Rob edwards of Andretti confirmed that the team will run one or two extra cars for the 500. McLaren might run with them if they can iron out their differences with Honda.

Fernando Alonso has yet to indicate what races he wants to run next year. He is committed to the full WEC season with Toyota. Their only conflicting  date with Indycar is labor Day when Indycar is at Portland.

The Formula 1 season ends November 25. A decision may come in December, but January I think is more likely.

This decision should not be a shock to anyone. Talk of McLaren running next season has quieted down since June. There will still still be at least one more car on the grid full time with Harding having two cars. Ten to twelve races should have even larger fields.